E3 is the most important event of the gaming calendar and this year’s conference saw hundreds of announcements from various games studios across the week. Here’s some of the biggest reveals from each of the major publishers.
EA (10th June 2017)
The week started off with EA in their pre-event Saturday show. The presentation focused mainly on their sports titles, such as Madden 18 and FIFA 18, as well as gameplay for the upcoming Star Wars Battlefront 2. Indeed, Battlefront 2 is one of the most anticipated games to be shown at E3 this year, racking up more than 8 million views on the showcased trailer.
Credit: Bioware
As far as new games series are concerned, the newly announced A Way Out will feature an unusual compulsory split-screen multiplayer mechanic, where two players must work together to break two characters out of a prison and go on the run. Finally, at the end of the presentation, a short trailer finally revealed Bioware’s new IP that has been teased for some time now – Anthem, a sci-fi game set in a futuristic world where players use Iron Man-esque customisable suits named Javelins in order to protect the populace from some unknown threat.
Xbox (11th June 2017)
The majority of the Xbox conference focused on the Xbox One X, as Project Scorpio was finally named. At £449, it’s an incredibly expensive console, especially since Sony’s PS4 Pro is £100 cheaper. This combined with the lack of 4K televisions in the wild means that it might not be as popular as Microsoft hopes. However, with the simple promise that it will be more powerful than any other console, the Xbox One X could be a hit among people with more money to spend. It will help that hotly anticipated games like the console port of Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds were announced as a timed-Xbox exclusives. Additionally, the announcement of even more backwards compatibility could attract more buyers with the promise of a larger back catalogue.
Even more information was given about Bioware’s Anthem, Microsoft’s panel used to show off some stunning clips of the flight mechanics and the game’s co-operative multiplayer. Some critics have commented on the seeming lack of story and character focus, something Bioware has been known for in the past with the Mass Effect and Dragon Age games. We also saw a short preview for the prequel to the 2015 adventure title Life Is Strange. Subtitled Before the Storm, the game will focus on Chloe Price three years before the events of the main game.
Bethesda (11th June 2017)
Credit: Arkane Studios
Although some hoped for news of Elder Scrolls 6, Bethesda’s presentation only confirmed that there are more releases of Skyrim to come, notably a Nintendo Switch port. Popular survival horror The Evil Within finally had a sequel announced – complete with a suitably skin-crawling trailer – as did 2014’s first-person shooter Wolfenstein: The New Order. Named Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, the sequel brings the Nazi regime to ’60s era America, creating a fascinating clash between the familiar settings. DLC was announced for Dishonoured 2. Entitled Death of the Outsider, it will focus on Billie Lurk and her mentor Daud as they undertake a mission to kill a godlike figure. It will also be available as a standalone game, Bethesda describing it as an entry point to the series.
Ubisoft (12th June 2017)
After countless leaks revealing the game’s setting, Assassin’s Creed: Origins was finally announced. It looks to be more RPG focused than previous instalments. Set in ancient Egypt, Origins will follow the assassin Bayek and the creation of the Brotherhood. Ubisoft also showed more gameplay from the upcoming Far Cry 5, developers stressing the freedom players will have to complete objectives however they like. The other big announcement was the confirmation of Beyond Good and Evil 2, the first game releasing fourteen years ago. It is still in very early development, but Ubisoft have confirmed that it is a prequel. Although not much is known regarding gameplay, the cinematic trailer appears to guarantee just as much action as the first. However, it may focus more on exploration than its predecessor, the trailer promising players that they will be able to explore multiple planets.
PlayStation (12th June 2017)
From the writer of the controversial title Heavy Rain, Detroit: Become Human looks to be a similar experience. Players will again control characters through a series of intertwining storylines with multiple possibilities and decisions leading to wildly different outcomes. The story itself will focus on android power and their rebellion against a society that views them as sub-human products.Undoubtedly, one of the biggest surprises was a full gameplay video for Insomniac’s new Spider-Man game. With fast and fluid web-slinging movement reminiscent of the Batman: Arkham series, it’s a promising first look. Miles Morales even appeared in post-demo scene, hinting that it could have a deeper connections to the comics.
Credit: Insomniac Games
For continuations of old series, Monster Hunter World was announced. Despite gameplay changes and larger areas to explore, the basic concept of hunting remains the same. Meanwhile the new Call of Duty and God of War titles both saw new gameplay demos and trailers. As far as older games go, the critically acclaimed Shadow of the Colossus is getting a remake for PS4. The indie smash-hit Undertale is also getting a PS4 port. Horizon: Zero Dawn is getting what looks like a sizeable DLC pack. Named The Frozen Wilds, it will see Aloy travel into the northern wastelands.
Nintendo (13th June 2017)
One of the most major announcements throughout all of E3 was undoubtedly the reveal of Metroid Prime 4 for the Nintendo Switch. The presentation only showed a title card, but that was enough to create some of the biggest social media hype of the entire event. Its release is still a long way away and it is actually being developed by a new studio, replacing the team who made the previous three games. Other major Nintendo announcements included the strangely casual reveal of the first main series Pokémon games for Switch and the continued promotion of Super Mario Odyssey. The latter’s trailer revealed that the red plumber can now possess people, animals and even objects during his adventures.
